Julie Rowe | Grab a copy of SEARCH & DESTROY for only 99 cents!

January 27, 2020

Search & Destroy is on sale for 99¢ for a limited time­ ─ Jan 27th to Feb 3rd. Get your copy today!

“Julie Rowe creates a chilling story in Search and Destroy. The threat to mankind is real and harsh. The entire book is a high-octane race against the clock with lives in the balance.” -Jeanne S., NetGalley

“Julie Rowe provides a high paced action novel with steamy romantic scenes thrown in. Her characters are well-crafted and her subject knowledge is spot on. The multifaceted plot included everything from relationship quandaries to bioterrorism threats and kept the reader engaged the entire time.” -Tara M., NetGalley

Search & Destroy excerpt:

Their fight, in all its stupid, irrational glory flared up in full color, 3-D splendor in her head. She had told him in no uncertain terms she didn’t want him to take care of her, yet here he was doing it anyway. Instead of feeling angry, she felt…guilty.

She’d been wrong.

About Halverson, the reach of the FAFO, and what she really wanted—a man she could depend on.

She’d thrown it all away.

She sure as hell didn’t deserve to have him looking after her now.

Carmen turned away the next time he offered her more ice. “How long have I…” She wasn’t sure what had happened.

“You have the measles. You spiked a fever and the staff here weren’t…they didn’t…the surgery took a lot out of you.”

“They thought I might die?”

“They don’t know you like DS and I know you,” he said with a shocking amount of pride in his voice. “After talking with Henry, we decided to try something a little crazy.”

She tried to snort. It came out strangled. “You’re an expert at a little crazy.”

He tilted his head a little. “Did you know you and I have the same blood group?”

Blood group?

She sucked in a breath. “You gave me a transfusion?”

“Plasma only. Henry thought the antibodies I have in abundance might do some good in you, and since your fever broke and you woke up…I’d say he’s right.”

She glanced at his arms and saw a bandage in the crook of his elbow, right in the donation sweet spot.

He’d given her his blood and saved her life. Again.

“Why?” she asked, tears clogging her throat, making her voice husky. “Why do you keep saving me?”

For a moment he seemed frozen in place, not moving, blinking, or even breathing. Then he leaned down so his mouth was next to her ear and said very softly, “Because I love you.”

No. No, he couldn’t. “But…but—”

“No buts. No maybes. No ifs.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “You’re it for me. From the day we first met until forever, you’re it.”

Tears tracked hot trails down the sides of her face. She wanted to tell him everything. Every secret, hope, and dream, but there were still too many obstacles between her and that happy ending he’d promised her all those years ago. She wasn’t that girl anymore.

“I’m scared,” she whispered. “I’m scared I’ve changed too much, grown into someone you won’t want. I’m not that innocent, naïve young woman who thought you could walk on water.”

“Don’t go giving me a messiah complex.” It was a protest, albeit a quiet one. “I screw up plenty. Hell, I screwed up every day of the nine years I spent away from you. I should have tracked you down after we got out of that death trap in Iraq. I should have known you wouldn’t have left without talking to me without a reason.”

She began to sob.

Several of the monitors sounded alarms.

Someone grunted, then DS was on his feet and at her bedside next to John. He took one look at her face and asked, “What’s wrong? You dying?”

John sighed with theatrical flair. “I’m trying to tell her I love her.”

DS gaped at him then stared at her before returning his gaze to John’s face. “You idiot. You don’t tell a woman you love her while she’s still sick and in a hospital bed. You give her flowers, take her out for a good steak dinner, then get on your knees and offer her a fucking diamond ring when you say you love her.” He smacked the back of John’s head with the flat of his hand. DS turned back to her and gave her the biggest fake smile she’d ever seen. “We’ll all just chalk this up to a fever dream, okay?”

Her sobs turned into laughter. That didn’t stop the tears from flowing, but it did allow her to crawl out from under the thousand pound rock of uncertainty she’d been living under.

Before she could regain her composure enough to talk again, a nurse came in and shooed both men out of the room.

She took Carmen’s vitals then smiled at her. “Your father and husband haven’t left you alone once in the last thirty-six hours or so.”

Dr. Carmen Rodrigues, CDC’s Outbreak Task Force director, is on the hunt for a killer–– an airborne virus spreading from Florida across the States, gaining traction with each passing moment. Although she’ll never forget her one night with sexy bodyguard John Dozer in Afghanistan, his protective nature is one distraction she doesn’t need right now.

Ex-Army Intelligence officer John Dozer will put his life on the line for beautiful, independent Carmen. Every. Time. Even when she pushes him away. And now, with her struggling to contain an outbreak likely triggered by domestic bio-terrorists, maybe even insiders at the CDC, she needs him more than ever. He lost her once. He’ll never let that happen again.